This invention relates generally to a hand held ball retriever for retrieving golf balls and deals more particularly with a ball retriever which can be collapsed for easy carrying in a golf bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,254 to Warden discloses a golf ball retriever which is effective in picking up golf balls and which may be easily carried in a golf bag because its construction permits it to be collapsed into a compact condition when not in use. Although this device is generally satisfactory, it can be improved upon in some respects. For example, the disks which pick up golf balls between them are connected only at their centers by a telescoping shaft. As a result of this center connection, the peripheral areas of the disks can wobble somewhat, and this lack of rigidity detracts from the ability of the device to pick up balls and securely grip them between adjacent disks. A related problem is that the gripping action provided by the ridges on the disks is lacking somewhat in power, particularly when the disks wobble. Moreover, because of the telescoping shaft construction, the device cannot be collapsed to as compact a condition as is possible, and this limits its ability to fit easily into the pockets of a golf bag.
The present invention is aimed at overcoming these shortcomings of the patented device and has, as its principal object, the provision of a golf ball retriever that exhibits considerable rigidity in its expanded condition and yet can be collapsed to a compact storage position. Increased rigidity is provided by using three bars on the disks located outboard of the longitudinal axis of the device. The bars are circumferentially spaced around the disks and prevent wobble or other misalignment of the disks. The bars on the different disks are misaligned with one another to further increase the overall rigidity and stability in the expanded position. The bars are received for axial sliding movement in guide sleeves which prevent relative rotation of the disks and yet allow the disks to slide toward and away from one another longitudinally.
Another feature that enhances the structural integrity of the retrieving device is the use of flat bars which are oriented in planes that extend radially of the disks. As a result of this arrangement, the transverse dimensions of the bars are oriented radially and are able to withstand radially applied forces.
A still further important feature of the invention is the provision of a detent arrangement which holds the device in its expanded condition and yet allows it to be collapsed without difficulty when desired.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a ball retriever that securely grips golf balls that it encounters. This is achieved in part by the increased rigidity of the device and in part by providing the discs with arcuate grooves in which the golf balls are received.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a ball retriever which is more compact when collapsed than other known devices. In this regard, the offset or staggered arrangement of the bars permits them to overlap one another in the collapsed condition, in contrast to the end to end arrangement of the opposing telescoping shaft sections in the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,254. Due to its more compact condition, the device may be stored more easily in a golf bag or elsewhere when not in use, and its overall practical appeal is enhanced accordingly.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.